


Trust Flower

by Naita



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Connor as Kara AU, M/M, Not detective Connor, Protective Hank Anderson, Role swap Connor and Kara
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:01:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26012287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naita/pseuds/Naita
Summary: He wondered what Hank saw in him. A broken machine? A potential danger? Or maybe someone who was lost. Someone who had more in common with him than he’d thought.AU where Hank takes in the runaway Connor and Alice.
Relationships: Hank Anderson/Connor
Comments: 20
Kudos: 88





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a oneshot but I might write more, let me know what you think!

_Asked for kindness, still it rained._

_Asked for mercy, still it pained._

_-Trust Flower by Jack Stauber_

* * *

If Connor tried to remember the first emotion he ever felt, he would almost dare say it happened long before he realized he could have them.

It was like a soft blur in the background of his very first memory. His system registering for the first time the sensation of his feet planted on the platform. His legs standing straight effortlessly, his chest and chin facing forward. His arms comfortably tucked at his sides as he curled each finger one by one, testing the motion. Eyelids fluttering open and closed, recognizing darkness, recognizing light, and everything it gave shape to. Taking in every sight of the relatively unremarkable store with thirst.

Of course, later he would understand that hadn’t really been the first time he’d been activated. He had been brought in for repairs, his memory wiped, but when Connor looked back at that moment he could almost distinguish something peculiar. A feeling, as he stood there for the first time and looked at the face of the man who would take him home, as his existence began. He would almost dare say he felt happy.

At first, Connor hadn’t been able to recognize that anything was wrong in that house. Right away he had been given tasks to fulfil, and it felt right to be put to work, to do what he was made to do. There wasn’t really a concept of right or wrong in his mind, but doing what he was supposed to do was simply right.

The television played while he worked, animated sounds reaching his ears. The voices of the crowd filled the house as if they were a part of it, like he could smell the grass as the human kicked the ball in a spiral towards it's-

He hadn’t realized he’d stopped working until Todd yelled at him to go away. Connor didn’t know why he’d slowed down as he’d neared the television to begin with.

He remembered seeing the child out of the corner of his eye as he continued working. He knew she was safe, knew she had everything she needed and that he should focus on what he was ordered to do...A moment later he was bending down to speak to her. He hadn’t meant to do that.

Quickly he went back to cleaning, putting things away, but just as quickly he’d find himself talking to her again, trying to get her to relax in his presence like maybe she used to before his repairs. It didn’t go against his programing, but nothing was telling him to do it either, it was…

He continued cleaning and came into contact with something Todd had not wanted him to find. He felt Todd’s hands around his throat and his systems told him he was in a potentially dangerous situation. Connor didn’t see anything wrong. He had made a mistake, he had made Todd upset, he would be better from now on. The red light of his led reflected off the washing machine.

The house changed as Connor cleaned it. It looked better, he thought. Except he didn’t, because he didn’t think at all. He had to clean Alice’s room next. He picked up her book of Alice in wonderland, the story flashing through his mind as a small smile played on his lips. He found himself before the girl one more time, not knowing why he tried so hard to get her to like him. It wasn’t necessary for him to take care of her, in fact he was sure Todd would like it more if they didn’t interact, but he felt his system recognize her as warm as she placed a key into his hand and ran out the door.

It was not difficult to find where it belonged, only opening it because receiving the key was clearly an invitation to do so, not to know what was inside it. He felt the texture of the paper against his synthetic skin as he held the picture of Alice’s family. A woman was in it, a woman who wasn’t here, a woman who probably hadn’t been here for a long time.

He set it down gently and picked up the larger pieces of crayon colored papers. There was objectively nothing special about the first drawing, not a masterful artwork, but somehow it was, because it was Alice’s, and the smile remained on his face as he flipped through them.

It slipped, the smile, a little more with each paper that fell onto the desk, like he was looking at the only remains of his broken memory, butchered along with his body.

The sound of the box closing sounded much louder than it should have to Connor. His body moved automatically down the stairs towards where he assumed Alice would be. He stopped as he witnessed the scene with Todd. The man went through many emotions, he yelled, he despaired, he cried, he loved. Connor felt himself strangely shaken by the showcase of emotions. In that moment, he knew that no matter how perfectly he worked, how much he cleaned, made the best food, or smiled for Todd, he would never be able fix what was broken in this house.

Then dinner happened, and Connor wondered if Todd hadn’t experienced the same glitch he had this afternoon, one moment he was sitting eating calmly and the next the table was flying and he was standing threateningly. Maybe he didn’t mean to do it either.

Alice ran up the stairs, and that glitch returned as Connor took a step towards the stairs, until Todd’s voice stopped him.

Don’t move, he said.

Connor didn’t think two words would have the power to shatter his whole world.

* * *

Connor didn’t know why he was thinking about that first day now, as he sat huddled under a tree with Alice sobbing into his shoulder, his fingers brushing lightly through her hair. It had only been a couple of days since then, but they had already met with numerous other difficulties. 

“It’s ok.” He murmured in what he knew was a comforting tone. “We’re ok now.”

“I thought you had forgotten me.” Alice sobbed, clinging tighter. Connor pressed a light kiss on her forehead, knowing that’s what human parents did to express affection. No, it was because he wanted to express his affection. Because he wanted to let her know that even though they had been so close to losing each other, Connor didn’t want her to believe that bond could be so easily destroyed.

“Hey. You ok?”

Connor's atention snapped towards the voice. How hadn't he noticed a human had gotten so close? It seemed his newfound emotions were still messing with his systems, making him less efficient as a machine.

It was a middle aged man, sholder length greying hair and matching beard. There was a certain strength in his gaze but it seemed to softened as he looked at Alice. He didn't seem like a threat, but Connor had learned that anyone could be. 

"...We ran away from home." Alice answered before Connor could stop her. “My father was a bad man.”

“Did he hit you?” He asked seriously. Alice shook her head. 

“Connor wouldn’t let him.” The man's eyes landed on Connor's. 

“Did he hit _you_?” Connor felt odd at the question, felt seen by this man's piercing gaze. He remained quiet but Alice nodded. The man stood before them for a moment before taking a deep breath. "My name is Hank. It looks like you could use a place to dry up. You can come with me, if you'd like." 

Connor wanted to say no. Wanted to run with Alice in his arms and never let her go, but the girl looked up at him with such hope in her eyes. He didn't understand how she could still believe in the good will of others after what they had experienced, but he didn't want to be the one to take that from her.

"Okay..." He finally answered. As he began to stand, Hank offered them his umbrella. 

"But you'll get wet." Alice said suddenly. "We can share it." The man hesitated before moving closer to them. Connor could feel the warmth of the man's body radiating from behind him. Living humans really were warm.

* * *

"A puppy!" Was the first thing anyone said the moment they walked into Hank's house. Alice's expresion changed so drastically at the sight of the dog that Connor realized he had never seen it on her face before. A truly happy expression, eyes full of childish wonder. She didn't deserve what she'd been through.

"Well, no one's called him that for years but I'm sure he appreciates the compliment." Hank chuckled. The man had seemed tense on their way to the house, so it was a surprisingly pleasent sound to hear. "Let me bring you some towels and I'll show you a room you can use."

The sight of a child size bed was appreciated, if not a little peculiar, but Connor knew Hank wasn’t the one who would be answering questions of the two of them. After waiting for a couple minutes for Alice to fall asleep once she was dry and warm, Connor silently made his way to where his sensors detected Hank sitting on a chair before a couch, clearly waiting for Connor to take a seat. The silence seemed to indicate that Hank was waiting for Connor to speak.

"I'm glad she has a bed to sleep in tonight. It has been some time." He spoke as pleasantly as posible. Maybe it was the wrong thing to say, something about his words seeming to break Hank's serious expresion. The man rubbed his face with his hand, taking a deep breath.

"Look, let's cut to the chase." He mutured. "I know you're the runaway android." He pulled a gun out of his back pocket and let it sit on his lap. 

Connor stared at it. Without understanding why, he felt his shoulders fall, suddenly feeling unable to hold himself up. His structural stability was not compromised, but for some reason he was bending in on himself until he was staring at his feet instead. A laugh escaped his lips, which made no sense. This wasn’t funny, but it really seemed divergence was playing with his systems. 

"Of course." he whispered. "I keep trying my best, but I just keep running headfirst into these situations." Another laugh escaped him and he put his fingers over his mouth a if trying to test why it had left. He looked at Hank, who seems just as surprised as he was. "Maybe it's for the best." Connor said with a smile that felt wrong on his lips. "It was always doomed to fail. I can't be the parent she wants." 

Hank opened his mouth soundlessly, but the android stood up and began to walk towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Hank barked as he quickly stood, gun in hand. Connor's eyes followed the movement before looking him in the eye.

"I know I am an android, but Alice has become somewhat attached to me. Shooting me in the same house could be potentially traumatizing for her. It would be best to do it outside." He spoke calmly. Hank stuttered.

"I’m not gonna shoot you!" He spoke almost angrily, but at who, Connor didn't know. The android blinked, expressionless. Hank looked down at his hand holding the gun before putting it back in his pocket with a shake of his head. "Sit down. Jesus."

Hank seemed to have lost all the strength keeping him up, letting himself fall onto the chair with a sigh. Connor stood a moment longer, taking the face of the man before him and trying to understand his decision. Emotions had been difficult for Connor, but he could tell they were being rather difficult on this man in that moment. Connor slowly returned to his seat. 

"Tell me everything." Hank said with a tired tone. "From the start."

And so Connor did. He told him about how it felt to awaken for the first time, how it hadn't really been the first time. About Todd and Alice and her drawings, and dinner. About running, hiding, and almost being wiped of his memories. Of all their fears and hopes. Hank nodded from time to time, many different emotions crossing his eyes. 

"I’m gonna be honest with you, I’m a cop. That's how I recognized you." The man admitted when Connor was finished. That only made Connor more confused about why they were even having this conversation in the first place. 

"Since you have listened to my tale, and perhaps most importantly refrained from shooting me, what have you decided to do?" He asked directly. The man hesitated before speaking. 

"Look, you've really been trying your best, I get that, but there are services for this. _Human_ services. Maybe it would be better if-" 

"Connor!" Alice’s voice suddenly rang from the other room, and before Connor could stand to check on her, she had come running towards him, wrapping her arms around his middle. "I woke up and you weren’t there." She murmured against him. Hank watched as Connor's gaze softened, unknown to the android, as he picked her up onto his lap.

"Sorry, dear. Hank and I got talking." Something akin to sadness could be seen in those eyes. "You don't have to worry anymore. He's going to help you."

"He’s going to help _us_. Right?" She insisted with surprising insight. Connor hesitated, but before he could speak, Hank cut in. 

"Yes, of course I'm going to help you.” He looked pointedly at Connor. “Both of you." Alice beamed at his words.

"So you'll help us get to Canada?" She asked excitedly. Hank seemed less excited at the idea. 

"Well honestly I can't just let you go off by yourself, you seem to attract trouble." Something seemed to shift in Connor's expression- was that a blush? "But I can't really take you to Canada either." It was understandable, Connor being a wanted criminal and all. The fact that Hank hadn't turned him in on the spot was still miraculous. That also made Hank's following offer all the more surprising. "Why don't you stay here for now? While we figure things out." 

"Really!?" Alice seemed a lot happier with that conclusion than Connor expected, but her immediate look towards the sleeping Sumo explained it. Connor smiled at Alice before turning to Hank, who was staring at him. He wondered what Hank saw in him. A broken machine? A potential danger? Or maybe someone who was lost. Someone who had more in common with him than he’d thought.

"Alright, that's enough excitement for one night." Hank stated. "You should go back to sleep, kiddo." Quickly Alice pulled Connor towards the room with the small bed, and before Connor could open his mouth to say any last words to Hank, the man had gone to his own room.

Alice quickly fell asleep in Connor's arms, Connor staring at the room's painted walls. Moments of his conversation with Hank repeated over and over in his head. The sound of his chuckle when Alice had played with Sumo, the different emotions that had crossed his eyes when he stared at Connor . It was strange to fall into stasis thinking of someone other than Alice.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to missy20201 for encouraging me to continue this story! Hope you enjoy it!

Connor was glad to see the morning light shining softly through the window- proof that they had found a place to spend at least one night safely. He sat up in the small bed, careful not to wake Alice. He took a moment to watch her sleep, running a careful hand through her hair before leaving the room.

Connor found himself automatically drifting towards the kitchen. It was what he was made to do after all. He wondered if he would ever come to despise his initial programing, or maybe it would always be a part of him.

His sensors detected Hank was still asleep in his room, so Connor took it upon himself to prepare a couple things for when the man awoke. Some time later, he heared steps coming towards the kitchen. The man seemed to hesitate at the edge of the door, and Connor wondered if he had his gun with him again, but Hank eventually took a seat at the kitchen table.

"You made breakfast?" a groggy voice asked as Connor set down two plates. He took in Hank’s appearance of baggy shorts and a t-shirt (no place for a gun) and tried for a pleasant expression on his face.

"It's the least I could do. Coffee will be ready shortly." He said. Hank looked down at his plate of a simple but picture perfect fried egg in a hole of bread.

"Sorry you didn't have much to work with." 

"I’m used to that." He replied easily, but the frown on Hank’s face told him that probably wasn’t the right thing to say. Connor brought over a cup of coffee, and Hank murmured a barely audible thank you against the mug’s rim. "I didn't really know how you take it, but I thought black was probably right." 

"Considering there's no milk and sugar in the house? Some really advanced technology I’m working with here." The first crack of a smile appeared on the man’s face and Connor felt a strange sensation in his chest he couldn’t quite name. He turned away and Hank quickly finished his breakfast before getting ready for work.

"You really don't have to do house chores." He grunted as he walked back into the kitchen and spotted Connor washing the dishes.

"I’m choosing to do them. If you don’t mind, it gives me something to keep busy. And besides-" He didn't know why he was telling Hank this, but the words were out of his mouth. "It gives me a sense of normalcy, even if I know it's not real." The sound of water running filled the room. Slowly, Hank neared him.

"The fact that you are both safe is real." He stated, looking at Connor in the eye for the first time all day. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you two." They stared at each other for a long time, Connor wondering once more what Hank saw reflected in his eyes.

The moment passed and Hank rubbed his face with a frustrated noise, grumbling something along the lines of _"If you'd told me last year I'd be harboring an android…"_ Connor thought he shouldn’t pry, but again the words were out of his mouth before he could catch them. Deviancy was really playing with his systems. 

"Do you dislike androids?" He asked. Hank looked up at him again before taking a deep breath and sighing.

"Honestly, I used to, for personal reasons." He looked away. "But I was assigned an android partner at the police precinct some time ago and I’ve realized she’s pretty cool. I'd probably been much harsher on you if I hadn’t been exposed to her." A smile tugged at his lips as he spoke of his partner, and Connor again felt a strange sensation in his chest, this time recognizing it as somewhat unpleasant.

"Is she a deviant?" he asked, which wiped the smile off Hank’s face. He opened his mouth to deny it immediately, but something made him hesitate.

"... I don’t know." He answered finally. Connor found a thermos and poured into it the rest of the coffee.

"For her sake," He said as he handed it to Hank. "I hope not." They made eye contact once more before Hank took the thermos and turned away.

"Make sure to stay indoors. The neighbors aren’t nosy, but its best nobody sees you. I'll be back around 6." Without another word, he walked out of the house.

* * *

Without Hank there, Connor focused fully on cleaned the kitchen until it was sparkling. He had already thrown out of the fridge any old take out and rotting vegetables, leaving only very little food and plenty of beer. Connor had stared at them, wondering if he hadn’t taken Alice from a drunkard just to bring her to another, but he quickly closed the fridge door and moved on. It wasn’t like they had much of a choice, but most importantly Connor genuinely believed that Hank had already proved to be very different from Todd.

He warmed up Alice's breakfast when she finally awoke, probably the first proper night of rest she’d had in a long time. Connor smiled as he watched her go to the living room to play with Sumo. The dog seemed more than happy to have company during the day, and Connor often found the two together as he went about cleaning the house.

As he worked, Connor couldn’t help looking for things that would tell him more about the man who was "harboring" them. He found a music player, which Connor placed against his ear and played. The music was fast paced and the singer’s voice loud, his systems telling him the name and genre of the band. Heavy metal. An interesting choice.

Among the things he saw, there was a basketball hat, a picture of the Detroit police precinct from many years ago, a picture of a young child that Connor tried not to stare at for too long, and some anti-android stickers on the inside of Hank’s closet door. Connor distracted himself by letting his fingers run over the fabric of Hank’s clothing and wonder if he might one day be able to pick out an outfit for Hank. He pulled his hand away and closed the closet door. What a curious impulse.

On a more serious note, Connor found another gun, one with a single bullet. It seemed to be for personal use rather than for police work. Connor stared quietly before closing Hank’s drawer and deciding that was enough cleaning for today.

He made Alice some lunch with what little else he could find in the kitchen and played with her for a little while before Hank came back. He was greeted at the door by an excited sumo, and a more hesitant Alice. He patted them both on the head before looking around the spotless house and turning to Connor.

"I assume this is your doing."

"Alice and sumo were helpful too." He attempted at a joke, which got the desired effect of making Hank smirk.

"I need to find you a hobby." The man shook his head before walking towards the bathroom. Connor side glanced Alice before taking a step forward and speaking out.

"Excuse me." He said, making Hank stop in his tracks and look back at him with a slight frown. "Sorry to bother you, but if you have plans to take Sumo for a walk tonight, I was hoping you could take Alice too. Asking a child to stay quietly indoors all day can be quite difficult for them and no one is looking for her so it shouldn’t cause trouble. I understand if it is too much to ask."

Hank stared at him with an unreadable expression before walking away into his room without a word. Connor tried to ignore the sensation in his chest which he could now identify as disappointment. He was about to turn around and think of some other game to make up for Alice before he heard footsteps returning towards him.

Hank was holding a large hoodie, which he without warning pulled over Connor's head. Obedient but confused, Connor put his arms through the holes. The moment his head popped out, he felt hands clumsily set a beanie over his head.

"There. You're ready for a walk." Hank said dryly. Connor blinked at him.

"But the chance of us being caught if I go along is-"

"Ehem! None of that now! Give me a chance to relieve myself and we'll get going." Connor turned around to see Alice grinning ear to ear.

"You hear that, sumo? We're all going to go outside together!" As Connor neared her she giggled. "You look funny." Yes the hoodie was quite big on him, effectively covering his form- The beanie pressed his hair against his face and hid his features. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Soon Hank returned and got Sumo on his leash.

They walked outside, Connor looking down at first in an attempt to hide himself further, but he felt Hank elbow him softly and motion him to look up. Connor allowed himself do so, feeling the wind blow lightly on his face. Once they reached the park, Hank handed the leash to Alice.

"He's a big boy, you think you can handed him?"

"I'm strong!" Alice stated.

"That you are." Connor said fondly.

Hank let her take Sumo, who pulled her a couple of steps ahead of them but not far enough to lose her from sight. Walking calmly side by side, Connor realized this was the same park Hank had found them in. Many different calculations of the proper thing to say or do popped into his mind. He should offer to do more house work or ask what would become of him and Alice, but instead Connor found himself saying something completely different. 

"Knights of the black death."

"Huh?" The man stared at him like he’d grown a second head.

"You like knights of the black death? I think they're great." Connor insisted.

"You listen to heavy metal?" Hank asked, clearly unconvinced.

"Well, I don't really listen to music, as such... but I’d like to." Connor could feel Hank warming up to him. He wanted that, he wanted Hank to like him for some reason. Of course, it was best to stay on the good side of the man who could still decide to report them to the police at any moment, but somehow Connor didn’t think that was the real reason.

He continued bringing up other things he’d seen during the day, like the basketball cap or all the dog hairs in the house, Hank smiling from time to time at his comments. If Connor had to describe how he felt, he would have said comfortable. After walking for a time, they found a bench from which they could watch Alice play with sumo.

"I realized I haven’t said this before.” Connor said after a moment. “I want to thank you for everything,"

"It's been a day." Hank said with deadpanned humor. Connor remained looking forward, following Alice’s movement with his eyes.

"To see her smiling like this… not scared. Not running or hiding… I never wanted that for her.” Connor could sense Hank watching him closely. “I just-" He stopped suddenly as his vision became blurry. Not only that, but he could feel something cool moving slowly down his cheek. In a single moment a million diagnosis flashed through his mind but none could tell him what was happening until he heard Hank’s voice.

“Connor?” The android felt fingers on his chin, carefully turning his face. Hank stared at him with wide eyes. “You’re crying.” The man seemed just as surprised as he was.

“Oh…” The android whispered, blinking against the distortion of his vision, only causing more tears to roll down his face. “I didn’t know I could.”

“Me neither.” Hank murmured, his hand moving from Connor’s chin over to his cheek. He slowly wiped a tear away with his thumb, as if testing that they were real, before suddenly realizing what he was doing and removing his hand. Hank cleared his throat, looking away. “Here…”

Although refusing to make eye contact, and arm tentatively reached over Connor’s shoulders before carefully settling around him. He recognized the gesture as an offer of comfort for when someone was in distress. That’s what tears were, weren’t they? A sign of distress.

Was Connor in distress?

“I know you’re new to this… feeling things shit, but crying is good. It helps you let things out.”

“Oh…” He repeated as the tears kept coming. Connor’s sensors listed all of Hank’s vitals, his heart rate, body temperature, but Connor ignore them. He tried to instead focus on what it was humans found comforting about the action, no, about how the action made _him_ feel. Yes, in that moment, with Hank’s warmth and weight around him, things didn’t feel quite so difficult or overwhelming. Despite having been worried about being out in the open where anyone could recognize him, in that moment Connor felt truly safe. “So this is what humans mean by a shoulder to cry on?” He teased quietly.

“It’s usually not quite so literal…” he man murmured, but relaxed against Connor. The android let himself do the same, closing his eyes and letting his head rest on Hank’s shoulder.

“Thank you, Hank.” He spoke softly before falling into a companionable silence, Sumo’s occasional barks and Alice’s laughter sounding in the background.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Trust Flower” by Jack Stauber is really not a lullaby at all, but since Connor sings one later on I thought it would be nice to connect it to the title of the story.  
> Also I said we’d be meeting Kara this chapter but it won’t really happen until the next one.  
> Anyway, enjoy!

The sound of running water filled the background as Connor quietly washed the dishes that had been gathering dust in Hank’s kitchen drawers. The android was aware that this wasn’t a particularly productive use of his time, but he found the simple and repetitive activity pleasant as he waited for the humans in the house to awaken. 

He thought back to what Hank said about finding a hobby. Could Connor really find another activity that could bring the same sort of innate satisfaction? What kind would it be? He paused in his work, glancing over his shoulder towards the kitchen table where Hank had left his music player the night before. A strange impulse moved his hand. Curiosity, Connor realized, as he slowly picked up the headphones and placed them over his ears.

At first it was the same as the last time he had heard the music. A long list of simple facts danced across his vision. Time signature, instruments, the exact number of minutes and seconds the song would play, all things that should make him an expert on the group but instead amounted to nothing. Like breaking something into bits and pieces until you could no longer recognize it's true form.

It reminded him of the few times he had sang to Alice to get her to fall asleep when they'd been forced to spend the night in less than ideal places. His voice was perfectly smooth and measured, in other words, mechanical. He had many lullabies prerecorded within him, specifically crafted to put children at ease. He'd never given it much thought, until Alice commented on it.

“You aren’t really singing, are you?” She whispered into the night as Connor ran his fingers through her hair. 

“What do you mean?” He asked.

“I mean… you’re not really thinking about what you’re saying, or choosing when to influx, it’s just… automatic, right?” Connor stared at her with a blank expression. She quickly corrected herself. “Sorry! I didn’t mean it as a bad thing-“

“It’s ok.” Connor smiled in a reassuring way. “I just wondered how you could tell."

“You can tell.” She answered immediately. “It’s just… music is something very emotional.”

 _Emotional…_ Connor thought as Hank’s music played loudly in his ears. He let his eyes slowly fall shut as he tried to listen. 

Yes… he could feel the energy that came with these sounds. How the influx in the singer’s voice expressed their discontent, their anger. There was something else… desperation. A desperate yearning for something unobtainable. It seemed almost familiar, like an emotion he could truly grasp for himself. Suddenly Connor’s eyes snapped open as he felt a hand land on his shoulder.

“When you said you liked heavy metal, I didn’t think you meant it.” Hank joked. Connor smiled as he took the headphones off.

“Good morning” He greeted. “I didn’t even hear you get up.”

“Huh, guess I should just let you wear them all the time so you’re not spying on me around the house.” The man yawned. “So what _were_ you doing?”

“I was trying to listen to it.” Connor explained, looking down at the apparatus in his hands with a small smile. “I imagined it was enjoyable for the artist to express themselves, but I couldn’t quite grasp how the listener benefited from someone else’s emotional display.”

Hank rolled his eyes, about to make a joke about Connor being such a bot, when the android continued.

“But I think… even though they are someone else’s emotions, you can see yourself reflected in them.” He spoke softly. “Maybe when you can’t quite name an emotion in yourself, you can find a song that speaks it for you.” He looked up at Hank. “I see why humans enjoy it.”

Hank’s stare felt heavy for some reason. The man was the first to break eye contact, looking away before clearing his throat. 

“I think today’s a good day for breakfast on the couch.” He quickly took the plate of food Connor had made before turning to leave the kitchen. Connor felt a tinge of disappointment. Perhaps his conclusion had been incorrect or had bothered Hank in some way. He was about go back to washing dishes with the intention of laying low for the rest of the day, when Hank looked over his shoulder. "Come on." He motioned towards the living room. Connor stood still in the empty kitchen before quickly following after Hank.

A moment later, they were watching basketball game reruns as Hank told him all about the team. Many were facts he could look up in an instant, but hearing them from Hank gave them a different meaning. Whenever Hank cheered for the team, Connor watched his expression closely. The next time the team scored, Connor tried to mimic Hank’s previous expression, the man barking a laugh and suddenly patting him on the back with a heavy hand. It felt good.

Soon Connor sensed Alice nearby, the girl hesitating to come closer. Hank noticed her too, his expression softened.

“You like basketball?” He asked. She nodded. “Come on, then. The halftime break just ended.” She gave a small smile as she joined them on the couch.

From that day on, every time Hank came back from work, he would bring something new for Alice and Connor. Books, paints, a large puzzle, even a children's chemistry set. Different activities to keep Alice busy, as well as continue Hank’s stubbornly determined mission of finding Connor a hobby.

Connor apreciated the gesture, specially Hank's attempts at making Alice feel at ease. He had even poured down the sink all his beer after he realized it made Alice uncomfortable whenever he drank. Connor followed the liquid with his eyes as it circled the drain.

“…You don’t have to do that.” He said calmly even though he had never been a fan of that particular habit. He knew it was one difficult to break and Hank truly had no obligation to do so for their sake. Hank shook his head.

“I don’t want her feeling unsafe." He looked away from the sink and gave Connor a serious look. "Neither of you.” Sometimes Connor was reminded of what a good detective this man was.

For his part, Connor took it upon himself to improve Hank’s diet. He could tell the man had not been eating well for a long time now. At first Connor had not wanted be too insistent, but with time his hesitance had all but disappeared.

“It is for the sake of all Detroit, Hank. How will you catch criminals if you eat burgers every day?” 

“I think I’m plenty good at catching criminals already. I’m staring at one right now.” Hank grumbled.

Connor had quickly made a grocery list full of the ingredients necessary to prepare healthy meals. Hank had simply sighed before agreeing to buy them. Connor entertained himself greatly with the planning and cooking of boxed lunches and meals. Even though he was aware they were things he knew just because of his programing, whenever Hank ate something and said it “didn’t taste half bad for being green stuff” Connor felt pleased. Like he’d really accomplished something. Something that mattered.

At night, they would all walk Sumo together at the nearby park, Alice happily running around while Hank and Connor would start a hesitant dialog. As days went by, that hesitance also disapeared, their conversations extending to when they got home, staying up late talking on the couch. Hank would sometimes tell him about his work at the police precinct. He told him about Kara and her advanced skills as a detective android. All the questionable decisions Kara had made during their cases dealing with deviants. As he spoke, Connor grew to feel like he knew Kara. He was thankful for the times she had helped Hank even at the price of stopping a criminal. Neither of them wanted to admit it, but it was likely she was a deviant.

Connor wondered what it would have been like to have been in her place, created with the purpose of hunting his own people, fighting against the feelings that begining to grow within him. He wondered what kind of choices he would have made.

“I think I should've been calling you Lieutenant all this time.” Connor smiled, trying to keep his mind off serious thoughts. Hank snorted.

“Don’t start now.” He said with a wave of his hand. Connor’s expression softened. Despite how difficult he knew Kara’s situation was, how he wouldn’t change his time with Alice for the world, a part of him would have loved being able to face those dangerous situations at Hank’s side. The word 'partner' making something tense in his chest.

Once Hank headed to bed, Connor began cleaning the leftover paint from an art session with Alice they'd had that afternoon. When Hank walked back to get a cup of water from the Kitchen, he caught Connor about to bring a paint covered finger to his mouth.

“Woah- what are you doing?” He startled. Connor gave him an innocently blank expression.

“I was inspired by you tales of Kara’s abilities.” He shrugged as if it was completely normal. “I was simply curious to see if maybe I had any sensors in my mouth like she does.”

“Shouldn’t you know already?" Hank shook his head in disbelief. “What about when you cook?”

“I’ve never tasted anything I’ve cooked. I already know the amount of ingredients and spices required for optimal flavor to the average human’s liking.”

There was a beat of silence before Connor began to slowly move the hand back towards his mouth.

“Oh no you don’t!” Hank was quick to run towards him, catching his wrist and pulling it away with a ridiculous smile on his face. Connor laughed in a way he couldn’t remember ever doing.

* * *

Hank had a recurring nightmare.

His eyes remained steadily on the road, only looking up at the rear view mirror at the sound of a child’s laugh. He smiled at his son, Cole. Then, Hank would feel a soft hand on his shoulder, turning his attention to the woman sitting in the copilot seat. They were happy, safe, their smiles never enough to stop the oncoming tragedy.

Tonight was different.

This time, when Hank looked up at the rear view mirror, there was a little girl sitting in the back.

 _Alice..._ He realized with horror.

A hand landed carefully on his shoulder and Hank turned his head towards this person, heartbeat pulsing painfully in his ears. It was Connor, sitting in the passenger seat and smiling softly at him.

_No, no, no._

Hank wanted to scream, beg the dream to stop before what he knew would happen could take place.

 _Save them._ His mind screamed. _Save them_. But he cant. Instead, he was the one leading them to a terrible fate. All he could do was stare at the faces of the people that trusted him, counted on him, and wait for the inevitable collision.

* * *

Connor’s sensors woke him from his stasis as they detected noise and movement coming from Hank's room. He carefully stood up, thankful Alice was still deeply asleep as he slowly walked towards the main bedroom.

Connor hesitated outside the door, pressing a hand against the wood and pausing as he listened to the sounds behind it. Hank seemed to be restless and upset. Connor was already opening the door before he'd even made a conscious decision.

The man was twisting and turning, clearly plagued by unkind dreams. Connor was about to wake him, before an idea crossed his mind. He slowly sat at the edge of the bed, hand moving until it remained hovering over the man's head. He tried for one of the lullabies in his system, but instead of letting it play automatically like he’d done with Alice, he tried to use his own voice. He felt each word in his mouth, giving it shape and meaning.

“Pick the flowers from the tree. Doesn’t she know she’s safe with me? Silent hours, they relax us…”

Connor couldn’t tell what his voice sounded like to a human, he could only hope that he could offer something to this man who had given them so much. Hoped his feelings of gratitude could reach him. Hoped that maybe his own pain could connect with Hank's and the man wouldn’t feel so alone with his grief.

“Asked for kindness, still it rained. Asked for mercy, still it pained. Wonder if she’ll ever learn. Wonder if she’ll ever think to…”

Hank's movements seemed to slow, Connor finally gathering the courage to let his hand fall softly and run careful fingers through the man's hair. With that small action, words boldly popped into the corner of his vision.

Above his constant mission of “ _Take Care of Alice”_ there was now a second mission.

_“Take care of Hank Anderson”_

* * *

Hank woke up feeling tired, but not as terrible as he'd expected. He was sure he’d started having a nightmare last night, but it had somehow melted away. Small miracles.

Hank walked into the kitchen, pausing as he spotted Connor finish another batch of healthy lunch. The android packed it carefully, not a vegetable out of place, finishing with a little sticky note with a small encouraging message pressed onto the lid. Hank would never admit he kept every single one.

Alice soon came in and chatted animatedly as they had breakfast. She could always get a smile out of him even when he was tired. After getting ready, Hank murmured a small thank you as Connor handed him his lunch. Hank walked towards the door before pausing and looking over his shoulder. Connor and Alice stood nearby, Sumo at their feet.

“Have a nice day at work!” Alice waved.

“Take care.” Connor said pleasantly.

Hank swallowed a lump in his throat before nodding.

“...I’ll be home soon."

* * *

“Why didn’t you say anything, Hank!” Hank looked up from his food at his coworker’s outraged tone.

“Huh?”

“The packed lunches? You haven’t been to Chicken Feed in weeks! Not to mention the way you’ve been cleaning up lately. You got yourself a girlfriend!”

“What are you talking about?” Hank rolled his eyes at the claim.

“Really? Then I’d think you got yourself a bot, but I know you hate those things-“

“You’re right!” He cut in quickly. “You caught me! I’m seeing someone.”

The teasing continued, much to Hank’s dismay. From across the room, Kara watched him quietly.

* * *

“People at work have started to notice.” Was the first thing Hank said once Connor had finished putting Alice to bed, the android taking a seat next to Hank on the couch. 

“Hm?” 

“The packed lunches.” Hank said dryly. 

“What about them?” Hank gave him that pointed look he always used when Connor was being purposefully dense. Connor allowed himsef a small grin. “Well, this wouldn’t happen if your habits hadn’t been so terrible to begin with.”

“Or if someone could just make an average lunch instead of showing off!”

“It’s in my programing.” Connor sighed unnecesarily. “I can’t help being perfect."

“Says the guy who tried to eat paint." Hank said with amusement.

"Point taken. I suppose I could stop making your lunch if it's causing you problems at wo-"

"No! I-I mean-" Hank rubbed the back of his neck, the barest blush of red coloring his cheeks. "Maybe if they looked more messy or something I could convince people I started worrying about something dumb like cholesterol. Say I made them." Even as he said it, they both knew no one would ever believe that. Connor gave him a curious look. 

"I thought you'd be glad to stop." 

"Well... I wont lie and say I don't miss a good burger once in a while, but I know it's something you've put a lot of effort into." 

Connor felt oddly moved by his words. In fact, he felt quite strange at that moment. Yes, as he took in the sensation of Hank's body sitting so close to him, talking to him with such openness, he would almost dare say that he was happy. He was happy to be with Hank. Happy to be close to him. Connor wanted to take care of him. Not because he was helping them, but because Connor had come to care for him. Connor wanted more nights like this. He wanted… he wanted…

His hand moved on its own, landing softly over Hank's, the man turning to look at him.

"Thank you, Hank." He said softly. Connor knew that if he needed to breath, the look in Hank's eyes would have left him breathless. Connor wondered once again what Hank saw in his eyes. Did he still see a lost and broken machine? The truth was, Connor didn't feel so lost anymore. Connor felt Hank leaning towards him, coming closer, closer. He could feel Hank's breath on his face.

Suddenly the man pulled away as if he'd been burned.

“What the fuck are you playing at?” He snapped. Connor blinked in surprise.

“Hank?” Connor tried to reach for him again but the man shook his head.

“You don'd have to pretend… what? That you're interested in me? Hell, you don't even have to like me.” He chucked humorlessly. “I already said I’d take care of the two of you, so you can cut it out already.” Connor frowned, his systems not being able to follow the sudden change in atmosphere.

“I wasn't pretending-"

“Then what?!” He practically yelled. “I should believe that- that you care about me? You _love_ me? _Machines_ can't love.” He buried his face in his hands in frustration. “God, I don’t- I don't even know what you are.”

A painful silence hung in the air. It felt opressing, like it was weighing on Connor and forcing every last bit of happiness out of him. He felt emptier than ever before. 

“I'm whatever you want me to be, lieutenant.” He said emotionlessly, the title making Hank wince as he turned to look at Connor. “Your prisoner, your house keeper, your partner,” Hank didn't pull away as Connor reached out to him once more, fingers softly tracing the line of his jaw. “…or just a machine.” Connor stood up. “Good night.” He walked away without looking back.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this story, please consider buying me a coffee!  
> https://ko-fi.com/naita  
> 


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